South Sudan rebel leader snubs dialogue team in S. Africa

July 3, 2017 (JUBA) – The leader of South Sudan’s armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO), Riek Machar declined meeting members of the national dialogue committee, citing the need to stop the country’s ongoing war as a priority.

The co-chair of the committee, Angelo Beda, who led the delegation to South Africa, said Machar declined to meet them, despite repeated attempts by deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

A number of high profile members, including politicians, the elderly, diplomats and religious leaders made up the team to South Africa.

“Our trip to South Africa was a peace mission. The team and I wanted to meet with Dr. Riek Machar so we hear his views on the dialogue. Unfortunately, he could not meet us, but we exchanged messages,” Beda told reporters on Monday.

He, however, said Ramaphosa and the African National Congress (ANC) welcomed and pledged support to the national dialogue.

The official did not clarify on what message was exchange with the rebel leader and how the South African government and the ruling African National Congress would make the dialogue inclusive.

Some members of the delegation, however, said they were not surprised by rebel leader’s decision to decline meeting them.

The deputy minister for information, Paul Akol Kordit, said Machar’s rejection of the meeting with the committee was dialogue in itself.

Akol did not further explain how declining to talk becomes dialogue.

Observers have interpreted Machar’s decision to snub the delegation as rejection of the legitimacy of the dialogue committee.

Meeting the committee, they argued, would legitimatize the purpose for which it was formed on desire of President Salva Kiir and shut other efforts seeking to revitalize the 2015 peace agreement.

The South Sudanese rebel leader, who fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in August last year after fierce fighting, lives in South Africa.

Meanwhile, another high-level delegation meeting the exiled leaders will reportedly visit Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia and other East African countries, including Sudan to meet the country’s former political detainees, Lam Akol and General Thomas Cirilo.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in late 2013 when Kiir sacked Machar.

(ST)